"If I can make tennis look stylish, I think I should do that" - Roger Federer launches his first fashion collection with UNIQLO
Roger Federer has launched his first fashion collection with Japanese casual wear company UNIQLO, designed in collaboration with Jonathan Anderson.
A slight deviation from the hats and t-shirts that are usually sold by UNIQLO with the RF logo, the new collection includes fast-drying polo shorts, fleece zip-up jackets and nylon joggers.
Speaking to the New York Times about the launch, the 20-time Grand Slam champion said that he wants to make tennis look stylish, following in the footsteps of trailblazers like Rene Lacoste and Stan Smith.
As a result, he focused on designing the new collection to bridge the gap between on-court and off-court, which he feels is lacking in tennis wear collections.
With Roger Federer's line, fans can look stylish while still wearing their tennis outfits on the streets.
"We have such a great style history in tennis. Rene Lacoste and Stan Smith were wonderful tennis players. I feel it’s important to remember where we came from. And if I can make tennis look stylish, I think I should do that," Roger Federer said.
"My collection is designed to be worn while you are playing or afterward. It’s been difficult for some reason, I don’t know why, to do this crossover — from on court to off court. Not the sweaty look, of course, but let’s say you don’t sweat, you can still wear my clothes to walk on the street and look stylish," he added.
"When the idea came up for us to work together, I was very excited" - Roger Federer on working with Jonathan Anderson
Roger Federer spoke about working with designer Jonathan Anderson in the interview, saying that he was "very excited" to work with the "hottest" designer out there.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion was appreciative of the fact that Anderson let the collection have Federer's unique style instead of making all the decisions himself.
“For me it was important to get a feeling with Jonathan that I would still have my own style, and knowing how much say I would actually have instead of him saying, ‘Do you like this?’ and me saying, ‘Yes I do,’ and then we move on,” Federer said.
"Mr. Anderson is the hottest designer out there. He’s done stuff in the past with Uniqlo. When the idea came up for us to work together, I was very excited,” he added.
The collection will be available to the public starting August 28, which also happens to be the first day of the 2023 US Open.